In its first semester of expansion, the goal for the program is to address the current shortage of well-trained teachers. According to Chris Hopper, chair of HSU’s Department of Kinesiology and Recreation Administration, it’s a basic case of need exceeding resources.
“There is a statewide shortage of teachers trained in adapted physical education,” Hopper said. “There is typically a great deal of turnover in special education in general. This is a nationwide concern.”
APE, defined, is a physical education program that has been modified to allow students with disabilities to participate in appropriate activities in the same manner as non-disabled students. Schools are mandated by the federal government to provide adapted physical education services.
Last summer, Hopper secured the $1.2 million U.S. Department of Education grant that has jump-started a program originally implemented at Humboldt State during the 1990s. The bulk of the funding goes toward paying students’ tuition, which greatly encourages the number of applicants.
Five students enrolled in the program this spring, but next year’s numbers will increase dramatically. There are 15 applicants for the credential program and 17 hoping to pursue a master’s starting in 2014-15, Kinesiology professor Rock Braithwaite said. Educating an average of 12 students per year over the course of the five-year grant is the department’s goal.
After learning HSU had been selected, Hopper prepared for a 2013-14 fall semester start-up. Interfering with that plan, however, was the U.S. government shutdown that closed federal offices. For at least one student however, the timing was ideal.
“I had planned to attend elsewhere, but when I heard that Humboldt State was starting the program I was excited,” said Patricia Ignaitis, who completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at HSU last spring. “There aren’t many options, and it would have cost much more to attend a private school. I also like the fact that I can get both my master’s and teaching credential at HSU.”
Ignaitis also expressed confidence in the instructors she became familiar with as an undergraduate. Along with Hopper and Braithwaite, professor Jayne McGuire, and lecturer Carolyn Christenson are sharing the teaching responsibilities.
Braithwaite is the Kinesiology graduate program coordinator and McGuire also teaches in the Special Education and Secondary Teacher Credential program. Christensen, who taught adapted PE classes at HSU during the 1990s, brings her broad experience to the program.
Students enrolled in HSU’s adapted PE program start out learning assessment techniques that measure an individual’s progress. They progress to administering tests in local schools. “With the education I’m receiving in the master’s program, I hope to eventually participate in creating an entire curriculum for a school,” said Ignaitis, who discovered her interest in the field while working for a non-profit organization that assists individuals with special needs.
Part of any curriculum in adapted PE focuses on health concerns specific to children with disabilities. Many have physical limitations that reduce ability to exercise, another major challenge addressed by adapted physical education.
“One of the primary areas of concern for children with disabilities is health,” Hopper said. “We hope to prepare teachers who are capable of providing good quality services that include health education, and also support parents of disabled students.”
Recent figures from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention indicate that childhood obesity rates among students with disabilities are 28 percent higher than non-disabled students. Contributing factors include difficulty swallowing certain foods, lack of available healthy food choices, and medications that can cause weight gain.
“Studies have demonstrated that there are specific connections between being fit and cognitive abilities,” Braithwaite said. “Trained teachers can help address the behavior variables that contribute to a lack of fitness among students with disabilities.”